The Mountain's Call
by Tiger Clan Warrior
Summary: In mountains, many mysteries are hidden. For Tigress, the mighty mountains in China hide her pass. One day, a discovery is made and she must find the surviving Tiger Clan. Can Tigress leave all that she's known behind and help save her blood line, or will she stay with her friends and abandon her ancestor's prayers?
1. Chapter 1

The Mountain's Call

"Ha!" The feline's tail swirled as she threw her opponent to the ground. She smirked, sometimes this was just too easy. "I see your skills are still lacking, panda."

Po groaned and stood up, "Tigress, I told you I don't like sneak attacks!"

"I know, that's why I do them."

"Well now that we're done fighting, let's get to my favorite time of the day, EATING!" The panda quickly ran to the kitchen, the smell of food drifting up to his nostrils. Tigress, on the other hand, stayed behind. She wasn't one who practically worshiped her stomach.

"Hey," Po stuck his head back into the training room, "Aren't you coming?"

The tiger looked up at him absent minded, "Hm? No thank you. I think I'll…take a walk."

The panda raised a black eyebrow, "You sure? Because my dad taught me this new recipe and-"

Tigress cut him off, "I'm good, thank you though."


	2. Chapter 2

_Many years earlier…_

"Get the guards outside of the castle and into the villages. They could make it even to the Kian by sundown if you hurry."

The young commander protested, "But sir, that would leave the palace walls unprotected and-"

Bai Jian, leader of the Southern Hu Clan, whipped around, "DO NOT QUESTION MY ORDERS, Da. I want the men ready to move in an hour. The Xiong have already crossed our borders as we speak. I will NOT have my people become a man slaughter for them."

Da gulped, his tail twitching nervously, "Y-yes sir….but what about your family and the…"

"I have already made the necessary arrangements. If we can make it to the shelter of the Northern Clan borders, we should be fine. Meet us in three days at the place we discussed earlier. Now MOVE."

Sighing, the tiger warrior bowed, "Yes, my lord." Da exited the room and quickly ran into the soldiers' barracks, following out his leader's orders. If the Xiong wanted a blood bath, then that is what the murderous leopards were going to get.

Bai Jian turned to his window and looked out at the empty feline village. The dwellers of the Huang Valley had already evacuated. All that was left were a few abandoned clay pots and the occasional wind chime. This had been his childhood home. It was where he grew up, trained, and was elected the leader of Hu Clan. In a few hours, the Xiong clan would be here and frantically search for the tigers, looking for captives and innocent blood. But they would only find empty houses, with empty chairs and empty tables.

Bai Jian's ears slightly moved as he heard a gentle voice.

"There you are, Warrior. I was afraid you'd gone to another world and left me."

He turned from the window and his eyes fell upon a graceful figure. Lianghu. She was holding a bundle that appeared to be a wad of spare clothes for the journey.

"Lianghu? You were supposed to leave the village hours ago."

The female tiger smiled and shook her head, "I couldn't leave you ALL alone. Someone has to protect you."

"I'm not in a mood for games or jokes," Bia Jian answered. "This is serious. The Xiong could be here any minute and you're still here. What about Lei Huang, is she alright?"

Lianghu's head nodded, "Yes. See?" She drew back a cloth from the bundle she was holding, revealing a small orange striped head. "She's fine." Bai Jian glared at Lianghu.

"You kept our daughter here too?"

"It was either that or let a stranger take her to the borders…we should get going…The Northern Clan will be expecting us and we can't keep them waiting."

Bai Jian didn't answer. Lianghu sighed and walked over to him, "Hey," she placed a hand on his arm, "We'll be alright. You-"

A loud crash coming from the courtyard interrupted her. The leader of the clan's eyes went from gentle to alert. "They're here. We need to get moving, NOW." Without allowing her to respond, Bai Jian grabbed Lianghu's arm and pulled her into the next room, quickly running down the hallway and out the back entrance to the castle. Lianghu held the small bundled tiger named Lei Huang close to her. They ran out of the palace and into the southern courtyard.

Lianghu looked around frantically, "Where's Da, I thought he was supposed to be waiting for us!"

Bai Jian spoke, "Yeah well change of plans. He took the rest of the soldiers to the surrounding villages." Once again, the tiger took Lianghu's arm and quickly ran to the wall surrounding the fortress. He spotted a cart and climbed up on it. The yells and bangs from the inside of the castle told him that the Xiong weren't finding what they were looking for. Bai Jian had it, and he wasn't about to give up his daughter to those blood stained hands.

"You need a boost?" He asked.

Lianghu rolled her eyes, "No. I'm perfectly capable of climbing over a wall with my child in my arms." With that, she proceeded to reach for the top of the wall, only to find that her hand couldn't reach it. Sighing, she turned to Bai Jian, "Yeah…I need a boost."

He smirked and lifting her up, allowing her to climb over and jump down on the other side. The tigeress was soon followed by Bai Jian. Lianghu turned to him, "Where do we go to now?"

Bai Jian sighed and looked at his small daughter in her arms. "We can't let the Xiong find us with Lei Huang. If they capture us and we have her…we need to find a place where they wouldn't think to look"

Lianghu raised an eyebrow, "Like where?

His lips gently touched Lei Huang's forehead, "…you know exactly where we have to go."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Tigress sat on the wall surrounding the Jade Palace, overlooking the mountains and villages. This was her favorite place to think, it always had been her private spot since she was a cub. Questions had come flooding back to her; questions that the stone hard tiger always thought gone. She buried them deep inside her, only to find that they had hunted her down once again._ Who am I?_, she silently asked herself. This was childish, the Tiger Master needn't ask such juvenile things. She was an accomplished warrior, a hero to the land of China. Sighing, she stood and hopped down.

A slightly annoying voice greeted her, making the feline's tail twitch.

"Tigress!" Po yelled. He quickly ran over to her, his stomach jiggling with each step the panda took. "I brought you these." He held up a bowl of dragon peppers. "Monkey and I did a contest on who could eat the most without taking a sip of water. The winner gets to face off with you. I, of course, won." He puffed out his black chest.

"Not in the mood, Panda."

Po looked at her with pleading eyes, "Pleeeeeeeeeeease? I won't bother you for the entire day! Promise!"

Tigress smirked and examined the large animal. "….fine. But I'm warning you Po, I've never lost at anything."

The two students walked into the kitchen. Po quickly set the bowl of dragon peppers down and pulled out a pot. Tigress raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?"

He replied, "Making my dad's famous Shibō Sūpu."

Tigress swallowed. "Shibō Sūpu….That means…"

Po nodded, "Yep. Death Soup. It uses the three hottest peppers in the entire land of China! The only one able to completely finish a bowl is my dad himself. Whoever finishes their bowl, or at least eats the most, wins."

Several minutes later, the smell of forbidding spice rose up through the air. Tigress nervously tapped her fingers on the table, trying not to show fear. The scent vaguely reminded her of the defeated Tai Lung. Only this enemy would hurt a lot worse. Even Po's eyes were watering as he scooped the soup into the bowls. The panda set the two bowls on the table. Tigress sat down and looked at the reddish brown color before her._ Don't do it!_ Her mind screamed, but the master ignored it. Time to see what her tongue could handle.

"Alright," Po sat down across from her and picked up a spoon, "On three! One…..two…." Tigress gulped and raised a spoonful of the chili like substance to her mouth. The smell alone made tears come to her eyes. The panda continued counting, "Three!"

The pair quickly shoved the spoons into their mouths. Tigress's mouth exploded as what seemed like fire touched her tongue. She quickly swallowed, the soup burning her throat as it travelled down. She looked across and saw that Po was having trouble as well. She lifted her spoon again and sent the melted lava into her mouth. The tiger couldn't take much more. Tigress's eyes widen as her mouth cried out in panic.

"I can't do this!" She screamed as the feline quickly surrendered, only to find that the panda had given into the Shibō Sūpu as well.

"So," Po panted, "Can we call it a draw?"

The feline quickly nodded as she felt her belly swelling from the heat. The Death Soup was quickly disposed of. Her stomach churned inside of her, and by the looks of it, Po wasn't feeling exactly bodacious either.

"Ugh," He groaned, "We need something to help settle our stomachs."

"Agreed. What we need is the Jiāng root."

The panda snorted a little, "and where on earth are we going to find that?"

"It grows along the southern mountains, but to get there would be a few days. How long do these stomach pains usually last?"

At that moment, his milky white stomach acted up on him. Po clutched his stomach in pain. "A-about three to four days. One time, an ox even had to go to the hospital. AAAAH!" He cried as the twisting and coiling of his stomach enthralled his body.

Tigress bit her lip nervously. She couldn't let Master Shifu and the Five see that their hardcore tiger had fallen ill because of a stomach ache. She would have to stay and continue her training, battling it out until the end. But then again, if one of her fellow companions saw her in pain, they would know something was up.

"Po."

The furry panda looked up at her, "Yeah?"

"I'm going to ask you something incredibly insane."

His eyes brightened, "Ooooo what is it? You need a warrior buddy to help defeat the demons of the Lao Hu Hills?! Or perhaps you need style advice on the continuing dress pattern of yours? No offense, but you should really switch up your look. All you ever wear is red and black, red and black, red and black! Maybe you should try like a purplish color or OOOO you should totally wear blue! It would make your cold, steely eyes pop."

Tigress glared at him, "Says the guy with only two pairs of burlap pants. I need you to be completely silent."

Po raised an eyebrow, "Uuuh….why?"

"You'll see."

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Shifu looked at his two students in shock. "Po….took a vow of silence? For a week? H-how?"

Tigress bowed her head in respect, "Yes, Master. It took some….persuading." Tigress looked at the silent panda with merciless eyes, "But Po finally decided that it was for the best. He has asked me to travel with him to the southern mountains. There, he hopes to find a connection between his surroundings and his…innermost being." _Also known as his stomach,_ she silently added.

The Grand Master thought for a moment about this, his mind was still recovering from the shock that his loudest, clumsiest, and most fumbling student took an oath of silent for an entire week. Then there was a fact that he wanted to take TIGRESS along. The pair never exactly had anything in common. The feline was loyal, hardworking, cold as ice, silent except for when justice was at hand, and one of his most promising students. Po, on the other hand, was, well, just Po. This journey that they were requesting to take could strengthen their bond, allowing more "peace" at the Jade Palace and the training grounds.

"Very well," he finally said, "I give you permission to embark on your quest. Po, I hope you discover what a little listening can do to your mind and skill."

The panda opened his mouth to say something, but Tigress elbowed him in the ribcage. She spoke for him, "Thank you Master. We will not disappoint you."

Shifu nodded, "I know you won't. You are dismissed."

Po and Tigress bowed, exiting the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

_Somewhere in China…_

Twenty years. Twenty cold, hard years of waiting. His mind screamed to lash out, to change something about this terrible fate, but there was nothing to be done. All he could do was wait. Wait and hope for the day of justice to arrive, to wait for the moment when his chains of injustice would break.

Bai Jian sighed and tapped his fingers on the wooden table, "…..we can't do anything about it, Lěng Jìng. You'll just have to wait."

Lěng Jìng glared at the Southern Clan leader, "My patience is wearing thin, Bai Jian. I've tried being fair, but without our agreement, I can't hold you to your word. I know you're an honest man, but a deal IS a deal. My scouts have scoured the land, and yet they haven't found _anything._ The Xiong are closing upon your people, you need help. I need a wife for my son, you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours, right? I suggest you do something about this, or you won't like the results."

Bai Jian nodded, "I understand." With that, he stood and exited the room. _Where is she? _ He thought. The clan leader walked into the soldier's barracks, calling for his commander.

Da quickly entered the room, "Yes?"

"…Send your best soldier to find Lei Huang."

Kneeling down, the commander of the army accepted his order, "Yes, Master."

Bai Jian turned to Da, rolling his eyes at the "humble" position he was in, "Get up, Da. Honestly, you think you'd be more casual."

Da straightened and face his leader, a smile forming on his face, "Just protocol, Bai Jian, just protocol. You remember Ju-Long, correct?"

The clan leader thought for a moment, his hand scratching his orange and black head, "You mean that little skinny kid with the huge head?"

Da nodded, "That's him, only he's not so little anymore. I think he'd be our best man for the job. Come on, I'll show you."

Bai Jian followed the slightly smaller tiger out of the meeting room and down the hallway. Pictures of the Tiger Clan lineage scattered across the wall. His father hung up there, the tiger's face noble and strong. A long scar ran down from his cheek and curved on his neck. Bai Jian knew what the damaged skin was from…the Xiong. They had taken away the mighty leader, leaving Bai Jian in charge at a very young age. He was sixteen when the cold hand of fate hand allotted him in this position. Despite being underage, the offspring of the strong leader proved to be a creditable chieftain also. Years went by, and Bai Jian gained the people's trust as he defended them from the dreaded leopards. There was one disadvantage to this though, Bai Jian's heart. Slowly, overtime it had turned to cold, hard ice. Yes, he did care for his followers, but with no surviving family, his heart was immune to love. That is, until Liang Hu came into his life. When Bai Jian first met her, it wasn't under normal circumstances. (Story soon to be posted under A Gypsy's Lie)

Da's voice snapped him back to reality as he called out Ju-Long's name.

"Soldier Ju-Long, report!"

A male tiger stepped up to the two felines. Bai Jian's eyes widen as he took in the tiger's harden body. Every part of him screamed warrior. His black and white fur hid muscles when he stood at ease, but Bai Jian knew better than to be fooled. The black markings on his face showed off the high cheekbones adorning it. He wore a leather thong around his neck, the symbol for "Courage" hanging from it. On his torso was a white shirt, opened at the top with rolled sleeves. For pants, he wore dark brown cotton like material. They were loose all over except for the waist and ankles.

"Well," Bai Jian commented, "You certainly look promising."

Ju-Long bowed, "Thank you, Bai Jian."

"Commander Da and I have a mission for you,"

His eyes brightened, relishing the idea of a challenger, "What is it?"

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"OOOOW!" Po cried as Tigress undid the pressure points on his mouth.

"Geez," He rubbed his tender mouth, "Paralyzing my mouth so I couldn't talk isn't what I call fun. A vow of silence? Is that really the best you can do, Tigress?" He asked, cocking a head at her.

The feline sighed as her tail swished back and forth, "I couldn't think of any better idea. Go pack your things, we're leaving in an AAAAH-" she groaned as another stomach pain shot through her body, "in thirty minutes, so be ready."

The panda nodded and shuffled to his bedroom, having regrets about making the famous Death Soup.

Tigress made her way to the student quarters. She grabbed another change of clothes, a dagger, and a few medical supplies in case they ran into any trouble._ Better pack extra provisions for Po,_ she silently added.

Thirty minutes and several belly cramps later, the two masters left the Jade Palace.

Po thought of a way to get revenge of Tigress for making him unable to talk temporarily. "SO, Tigress, have you heard anything from Yijiro?" He nudged her, making the feline stumble slightly.

A pain hit her again, but this time it wasn't her stomach. Tigress closed her eyes tightly for a moment, remembering the prawn who had helped them defeat the clam. It had been months since she heard any news from him. "I'd rather not talk about it."

He smirked, "You don't have to hide from me, Tiggy. We ALL know that you totally crushed on him, almost as much when I crush Mantis by sitting on him."

Her face remained stone hard. "Stop it, Panda. You know that Master Shifu has advised us to steer clear of romantic entanglements. I intend to follow his every word... And don't call me 'Tiggy.' "

Po shrugged and they kept walking. He was obviously getting nowhere with her. Tigress's heart cracked as she thought of Yijiro. He was the first romantic encounter the feline had, but now it had died. She at first assumed that he was busy, probably chasing escapees and fugitives in Japan, but as the weeks and months went by, there was only silence from him. Of course, Tigress knew better than to get tangled up in childish dreams; it was dangerous for any master to have a significant other, it would distract their mind from their skills. Still, like any other girl, the tiger master still had a tiny, microscopic speck of longing down in her heart.


	5. Chapter 5

As the sun was setting, Tigress could see the crests of the Southern Mountain range. Another half day of walking, and they would be there. Another half day of the blundering panda. She couldn't think of a single moment when the panda hadn't shut up. It was talk, talking, and talking. I_f Po would spend more concentration on training than he did talking, he would be one of the best master in China,_ she silently thought.

"We'll rest here for the night," The feline said as she opened her bag and began to rummage through it. "I thought I packed food," Tigress muttered as she searched the contents.

Po's face turned red underneath his white fur, "Oh um yeah, a-about that. You see, we were walking a lot and my stomach started growling at me and…."

"You ate the only food we brought?!" She shrieked, "Po, that was supposed to last us for three days!"

"I know but I was hungry!" He glanced at the tiger's furious face, "ahahaha i-isn't that funny?" An inflamed Tigress had made her way over to the blundering panda. He yelped and covered his precious face, "Please don't hurt me!"

She sent a death glare at him, fist raised to strike, "Pray for-"

A rustling in the trees interrupted her. The two froze, looking for any sign of danger. Everything went silent, the wind swirling through the forest was the only sound to be heard. Tigress scanned the area surrounding them, searching for any trace of the intruder. The panda, however, quickly scurried behind the boulder, trembling as he did. The tiger's brow furrowed, she didn't like this.

"Stand down and we will spare your life," She commanded. A deep chuckling answered her. The master's eyes widen as a large figure approached.

A cloak and hood blocked the imposing stranger's face. From him came a rusty, low voice, "Looks like someone needs to teach this kitten some manners."

Tigress emitted a sharp growl as she got into a fighting stance, "Who are you?"

"What, I don't look familiar to you?"

"ANSWER ME." Her tail twitched as she became impatient. Tigress was never one for games.

"Maybe this will help," The cloaked figure pulled back his hood, revealing a orange and black striped face. High cheek bones with emerald eyes adorned his face. From his left eyes down to his jawbone ran a long, jagged scar. Her eyes widen as she looked upon the stranger.

He sneered, "What's wrong, cat got your tongue?

The tigress gaped at him, still shocked at the sight of another tiger. "W-where do you come from?" She asked, hardly above a whisper.

"You should learn not to let your guard down." With that, he slammed a striped fist into the ground, releasing a gas bomb.

"W-wait!" She choked out, but that was all she could say before her world went dark.

* * *

Ju-Long quickly scooped up the female tiger, holding his breath so that he would not breathe the toxic fumes. The soldier quickly made his way into the forest, checking for any witnesses. Thankfully, there were none.

"WAIT!" A voice squeaked out.

The tiger rolled his eyes and laid down his prisoner. A panda quickly made his way over to him.

"Buddy, y-you are under arrest by the…." Po's voice trailed off as he tried to get a lungful of fresh air. He bent over, hand on knees. Everything was starting to fade away, and his head felt light.

Ju-Long stared at the black and white animal, confused. "Uh, are we going to fight? Or what?"

"H-hold on," the panda replied, "I just…need a minute…and there goes the feeling in my legs." Po fell, a loud THUD as he hit the ground.

The tiger simply stared at the passed out panda. _Great,_ he thought, _now I have to lug around this bag of blubber. _ It took several attempts to somehow carry the tigress AND panda. Finally, Ju-Long resorted to carrying the female tiger and dragging the fat panda by his foot. He could already tell that the trip back to his clan would be a long, strenuous one.

* * *

Po looked around at the strange yet deliciously wonderful world surrounding him. Stuffed figs lay in piles around him, floating dumplings scattered around the clear blue sky. The smell of ginger drifted up through the air, making his mouth curve into the usual goofy grin. In the middle of this food wonderland laid a giant cast iron pot, brewing the most intoxicating soup the panda had ever laid eyes on. It looked so….bodacious. He quickly scurried over to it and peered over the black bowl.

Inside the bowl was a blood like substance, a foreign pepper dotting the liquid here and there. Po's eyes widen as he recognized the familiar smell of pain.

"No…i-it can't be." He whispered, "I thought I defeated you!"

Slowly, the peppers in the soup formed two piercing eyes and a menacing face, "Yes, PO. It is I."

The panda shrieked and quickly took a step back, "H-how are you still alive?"

The peppers chuckled deeply, "Silly panda, don't you know that you can never escape the watchful gaze of the Death Soup?"

Po quickly ran for cover behind a pile of figs, but it was to no avail. The brewing pot followed him wherever he went; it crept up to him like a devilish dog, waiting to devour its prey. How could food be so evil?!

"Please!" He cried out, throwing himself on two knees, "Have mercy on my soul!"

"Fight me, stupid panda. Stop wallowing in your filth and FACE MY WRATH."

Po swallowed, knowing that the end had come, and he gave in to the terrible beast.

* * *

Ju-Long drug the blubbery panda through the forest, the tigress slung over his shoulder. Groans of pain emitted from the black and white animal, something about an evil pepper, but he ignored it. At one point the panda reached out and grabbed hold of the tiger's tail, proceeding to munch on it furiously. Ju-Long rolled his eyes and gave a hard kick to his head, causing the fat surrounding it to jiggle a little. _The things I have to put up with for my leader,_ he silently thought.


End file.
